On Wednesday, Parliament set the overall level of commitment appropriations for 2027 (legal promises to pay in the same year or later) at €194 billion, with a targeted increase of €1.17 billion compared to the Commission’s original proposal. MEPs set the overall level of payment appropriations (actual payments made to beneficiaries) at €203.3 billion. MEPs want to ensure adequate financing for Parliament’s priorities within the current budgetary constraints. Parliament also calls for financing the EU debt repayment without cutting expenditure on key EU programmes.
Research, infrastructure, health and education
To boost European competitiveness, innovation and cross-border connectivity, MEPs want to increase funding for Horizon Europe by €63 million, transport and energy networks by €260 million, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises by €31.5 million. MEPs also propose €50 million more for EU4Health, and €96 million more for Erasmus+.
Agriculture, environment and civil protection
MEPs are pushing for an increase in funding for the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund by €85 million, including €20 million more for young farmers, and an additional €85 million for the LIFE programme. To better respond to natural disasters, they want to increase funding for the Civil Protection Mechanism by €80 million.
Border management, EU’s neighbourhood and the world
To reinforce the EU’s capacity to manage migration and protect its external borders, MEPs propose increasing funding for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund by €20 million and the Border Management and Visa Instrument by €40 million. They demand €20 million more for military mobility. Funding for the Southern Neighbourhood should increase by €60 million and by €30 million for the Eastern Neighbourhood, with an additional €40 million for humanitarian aid.
An accompanying resolution, adopted with 400 votes in favour, 189 against and 84 abstentions, summarises Parliament’s position.
More figures in the EP position are available on the Budgets Committee’s site and previous press releases.
Repayment costs for the NextGenerationEU (NGEU) and the Ukraine Support Loan
To protect key programmes while preserving the EU budget’s flexibility and capacity to respond to unforeseen challenges, MEPs argue that dedicated funding instruments should be used to cover the costs of financing NGEU and the Ukraine Support Loan without undermining established EU programmes.